jayce

No luck finding this guy. I can't seem to track him down. Oh well. The search continues. I know there is somebody out there.

Thanks, I think I'll give this guy a call. Also interested in any other place anyone is familiar with.

Yea, sorry. That would help. I'm in central Tx, so about equidistance from San Antonio and Austin and frankly I'm not concerned about having to drive a fair distance. The dealer I currently take it to is about an 80 mile drive and I've been doing that. So, anything in the general area would probably be ok.

After getting some useful suggestions regarding whether or not I should have some work done on my 05 OB or just take the money and put it towards a newer vehicle. It was suggested multiple times that having work done at the dealer at this point might not be my best bet and I should have it looked at by an independent mechanic. My difficulty is that the two independent mechanics that I have tried in the past "both who claim they know how to work on Subarus" have not been so bueno. Not that they are bad guys or even bad mechanics, not saying that,, I just think they either don't know or can't admit when they come up against something they are not familiar enough with and I think with Subaru that has been the case more than once. I guess I am looking for direction in how or where I might locate a solid independent mechanic for my OB. I've exhausted my own knowledge in this area and come up short. Thanks for any help you might be able to throw my way.

Thanks for all the responses. Still trying to decide what to do. I've started considering the CPO Outbacks, I think maybe the 2015's look a little better than the previous gen. Maybe. Maybe I just want them to. My husband is trying to get me to settle on a Honda Odyessey. Maybe the most depressing vehicle I have ever drove, but the CPO Outbacks are giving me sticker shock. Any ideas out there what it would likely cost if my a/c is going out? I feel like that is the big unknown that might potentially tip the scales in the direction of a new purchase vs. repairing my current OB. I guess once you start talking about spending upwards of 5k in a single chunk, it starts to feel like it makes less sense. Also, what are the odds of major engine trouble, assuming I am not seeing any obvious symptoms of an engine problem? Thanks for all the input.

Thanks, I'll check that out. My closest dealer is 45 miles, one way. Which sucks, but with the luck I've had with indy shops, for anything major I bite the bullet and go, for anything "minor" where I don't, I generally regret it and wish I had.

I've often wondered myself how I've gotten that lucky. The fact is that it has always consumed a little oil. I bought it CPO with about 30K miles on it. I noticed this and when I inquired they blew me off. That said, it has never used any more than it did when I got it and it's never used a lot. I sometimes have to top it off a little between oil changes if I go over 4K miles. (I use synthetic oil, so sometimes I push the limits), but really no obvious HG problems. Fingers crossed. Part of me feels like if it's lasted this long, it will probably continue to be fine. Part of me feels like I'm living on borrowed time. Decisions, decisions.

You should go to an indy shop, BUT only one that has repaired a lot of subarus. A good question to ask an indy shop is "how many subaru HG's have you replaced. If it's a decent subaru shop, they have to have done 40-50+. Trouble here is I'm not sure I can find an indy that would meet that requirement. Thought I found a good one, seem to work on a lot of subaru's had them rebuild an engine in a BAJA and they returned it to me using oil. So now not sure I trust them either. Another consideration is that your HG may not last much longer. You have 50K on it. I'm confused by this. I guess my HG has more like 198K on it as I've never had it replaced. Do you know something I don't?

1 Lucky Texan, Thanks for the advice, I will probably have it looked at at an independent. It was at the dealer. However, my luck with independents has been pretty poor with this car. It seems every time they do something, something comes back broken or not done correctly and I end up back at the dealer to have the new problem corrected. One other issue, this reminded me of. I just had new brakes put on at an independent, then my cruise control quit working. Will come on, then with any breaking by the vehicle such as on a hill, it deactivates, flashes, will not come back on until I shut off the vehicle. Dealer said they could not replicate problem even though it happens literally every time I drive within 5 minutes of setting cruise. So no idea what the problem is there that they can't replicate, but something else that needs to be fixed. Timing belt was done at 150K so I'm good on that one. They say without the rocker arms they can not align the car, and it is showing inconsistent tire wear so the alignment has to be done. I figure I can just pour power steering fluid in for a while to avoid 1200 work on rack and pinion, or would that be a bad idea. It hasn't given me any issues other than needing fluid maybe once every 6 months, so I'm inclined to just not do that work. When the compressor was replaced before it was under warranty so I didn't have to pay for it and believe me, the dealer tried every possible remedy including saying they couldn't replicate problem before finally breaking down and doing it, so I'm sure that was the only fix at that time. Same symptom this time and in Central Texas there really is no time of year I can be without a/c. If I could find an independent I felt I could trust, I would love to have them take a look at it. The dealer currently has it waiting on an airbag recall replacement, once that's done I can drive it home. I drove it to them so no reason to feel like it can't be driven, but if I am going to get something else, I'd rather just do the research, decide what I want, find it and not drag it out. Just can't decide for sure what to do. Does anyone know anything about after market back up cameras or radios that would enable me to be hands free with my phone in the car. If I thought I could get that done reasonably, it might make keeping it more attractive. Also, at 200K miles, how likely is it that I might experience engine problems soon? Thanks for all the experience and insight.

Thanks all, it is the oil consumption problem/complaint that worries me. I feel like anything related to the motor is a huge red flag for me. Took my vehicle in for alignment, was told it needs both front and rear "rocker arms?" upper on one and lower on the other, can't recall which at this point. So that's around $1200. Then they said the rack and pinion is leaking so about 1200 to fix that. This is what really worries me, they said there appeared to be a leak in the transmission, could just be the filter and need a service but if not, then it could need a seal or pan. They did not quote me what that would cost if it were in fact the case. I also started noticing intermittent problems with a/c this fall similar to what I experienced in the past when it required a new compressor to fix, so if that's the case add another 2500 for an ac system (yikes). Oh and the front seat will not move forward, probably needs a switch so around 100 bucks for that. Soooo, best case scenario looking at around 2400-2500 for "rocker arms? hope I'm getting that right" and rack and pinion. Add to that who knows what if transmission has problems, another possible 2500 for a/c and then a couple hundred for incidentals. I have loved driving my car, and really prefer the body style pre-09. Another reason I have not looked at newer vehicles, just don't like the new body style. However I'm starting to wonder if potential repairs that would get me almost a third of the way to a vehicle with under 30K miles and drivetrain warranty might be the way to go. Then again for 20K which is less than I would pay for a late model pre-owned, I could practically rebuild my 05 I assume. The scale for me just keeps moving back and forth, not sure what to do. What would you do? I would really like leather seats and a back up camera, as well as hands free phone in my car. So those are potential reasons to go for a newer OB, other than that, I'm happy with the 05. Can't tell you how much I am struggling with this decision.

I have been putting off purchasing a new car, driving my 05 Outback with pleasure and very few problems. However, facing about $3k in repairs at 200K miles I'm thinking it may be time to pull the trigger on a new vehicle. I have been considering a certified 14 or 15 Outback. Possibly even a 13. However some of my research is showing that the complaints on these newer year models has increased dramatically over previous years. Anyone out there who has driven one of these newer models have any opinions on this? I really can't afford the expense or the aggravation of purchasing a near new vehicle if it is not going to be relatively trouble free for the next several years. That's why I drive Subaru. Should I just spend a few grand on my 05 at this point? I could do a lot of work to it for the 25-30K I would be spending on a newer model, but I would also still lack the more "modern" conveniences I would be getting with one.